Hot, Holy & Humorous

A Marriage Movie: My Review of THE SONG

On Saturday, my husband and I went to see The Song, a movie described on its website as follows:

Aspiring singer-songwriter Jed King is struggling to catch a break and escape the long shadow of his famous father when he reluctantly agrees to a gig at a local vineyard harvest festival.  Jed meets the vineyard owner’s daughter, Rose, and a romance quickly blooms. Soon after their wedding, Jed writes Rose “The Song,” which becomes a breakout hit. Suddenly thrust into a life of stardom and a world of temptation, his life and marriage begin to fall apart.

Song Movie WallpaperThe advertisements say that the movie is inspired by the Song of Solomon. And it is. However, more accurately, it’s inspired by the life of King Solomon. This story is something of a modern-day retelling, and the movie is saturated with scriptures from Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.

Going into the theater, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d seen other faith-themed films, and they’ve varied in quality and popularity. So while I dared to hope, I wasn’t walking in with great expectations.

I was surprised by the structure of the film — the sequence of protagonist Jed’s life and the way a narrator integrates Bible verses into the scenes. To me, this film struck an intriguing balance between biblical foundation and real (and sometimes messy) life. This is not a family, feel-good film. But it is a very real portrayal of how our choices in love, work, and faith impact our lives.

This film gets a thumbs-up from me. My husband and I both smiled at the humor and the tender moments in the film. We tensed when the characters began making poor choices (because we remember how that feels in a marriage and what bad consequences can come). We ached and even wept when things fell apart. We yearned for a happy ending. The story drew us in, tugged at our hearts, and reminded us of what matters.

As I said, the story is real — so yeah, there’s some sinful stuff on the screen. I didn’t think it was egregious, but it’s there enough to make the point. The acting is superb, and at times the performances hit close to home. (Honestly, if this wasn’t a biblically based movie, I wonder if lead actor Alan Powell would be up for some acting awards.)

Alan Powell & Ali Faulkner in the lead roles
Alan Powell & Ali Faulkner in the lead roles

What I appreciated most was both husband and wife were flawed. There are many lessons spouses could draw from this movie. It’s the husband’s story, so we follow him more. But you can see how these people slowly slide into a terrible situation and, once there, don’t know how to get out. In fact, there was one scene that channeled certain feelings from my past when my own marriage was a wreck — when we were both in such emotional pain that we just wanted the pain to stop. And we sent ourselves further into hurt before God pulled us out of the pit.

I also related, very sad to say, to the temptress in the movie. The way she flirted was familiar from my long-ago days of premarital promiscuity. So I believe the filmmakers cast her character in a believable light as well.

Some time ago, I wrote about avoiding adultery, based on Proverbs 5. My post aligns well with this movie, since the progression was displayed right there on the screen. (However, intimacy after an affair is more than possible when God becomes the focus of your situation.)

Of course, adultery isn’t the only seemingly insurmountable problem in marriages. My own marriage has never experienced adultery, but at one point, we were hanging on by a thread. Yet I still saw the trajectory of my marriage in The Song — the neglect and pain, the choices and consequences, the heartbreak and redemption.

Let me assure you that — thank God — my marriage has a happy ending! A very, very Happy Ever After!

As for The Song, you’ll have to see the movie for yourself.

I’m glad for all the Christian voices out there proclaiming what God’s Word says — that marriages often have problems, yet “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Hot, Holy & Humorous is one of those voices. And so is The Song.

I pray that we reach out to people through as many means as we can. Movies can be especially powerful. And maybe some of those unaware that the Bible speaks into marriage and sexuality will see this movie and discover the modern-day relevance of God’s Word.

Have you seen The Song? If so, what did you think? And what questions do you have for me about the movie?

8 thoughts on “A Marriage Movie: My Review of THE SONG”

  1. J- how do you think couples dealing with the aftermath of infidelity will deal with this movie? Is it a good thing to watch? Will it be hard to watch? Thanks for your review.

    1. Great question, Kris. I’m typically of the opinion that, unless you’re going through the thing right at that moment**, it can be good and healing to see a representation of what others have gone through that’s similar to your own situation. After all, the Bible is made up of people’s difficult and triumphant stories, and being able to relate to someone in Scripture — in both good and bad — helps us to see how God is working in our lives and to find our own way.

      While it could be emotionally difficult to see this film (it was at times even for me), there are a lot of lessons and hope. I think if you’re through the issue, coming out the other side and beyond, it would still be a good film to see. But yeah, bring tissues (I wish I had). Some parts could be hard to watch.

      **Note: I remember when one of my book club members had cancer, and we made a collective decision to read NO MORE books in which someone died of cancer while our friend was fighting for her life. Likewise, this film might need to wait if, for instance, a wife just discovered a husband’s infidelity. The pain could be too raw.

  2. Since I am not certain that my husband will go with me to this movie, is it appropriate for a child to watch? My darling daughter is 14 and has Down Syndrome. She and I like to go to movies together.

    1. Personally, I would take a teenager. However, I can’t speak to special considerations for a child with Down Syndrome. I’m sure you know what she can handle.

      But you should know ahead of time that emotional scenes can be tense, and there is drug use shown (not a lot, but enough that you know what’s happening), as well as references to sex (though nothing shown on screen). No bad language. Also, Plugged In Online nicely breaks down the content for drugs/alcohol, sex, violence, and language for movies. You can find their summary for The Song HERE. Hope that helps!

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